Sustainable Polymers: From Synthesis to Functional Properties

Dear Colleagues,

Plastics, due to their light weight, low cost, and suitable physic/mechanical features, represent the best material for a wide plethora of applications, such as packaging, automotive, electronics, and so on. However, their massive use, coupled with their resistance to biological attack, has led to the well-known environmental pollution and bioaccumulation problems that affect our planet today.

The development of greener polymeric systems is therefore needed not only for disposable applications, but also to obtain bioplastics capable of outperforming traditional fossil-based materials, thus supporting the transition towards a more sustainable future.

This Special Issue aims at covering different aspects of this research field to provide a useful insight into the latest developments and future trends. Main topics include but are not limited to:

• Innovative synthetic approaches towards sustainable polymers;
• Synthesis or post-functionalization of biopolymers both of natural and synthetic origin;
• Preparation of bio(nano)composites;
• Physic/mechanical characterization of biopolymers and biocomposites;
• Environmental applications, such as (food) packaging or mulching films;
• Sustainable polymers in personal and home care formulations;
• End-of-life evaluation, including composting, soil burial, and enzymatic hydrolysis tests;
• Life Cycle Analysis.

Authors are welcomed to submit their original work in the form of full papers, communications or up-to-date reviews.

Dr. Matteo Gigli
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the Special Issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.